The BNP and its allies are left with no candidates in Dhaka-1, Manikganj-2 and Bagura-7 constituencies as nominations of all its candidates were cancelled on Sunday (Dec 2) when returning officers across the country scrutinised the applications.
In Dhaka-1, the nominations of BNP candidates Khandaker Abu Ashfaq and Fahima Hossain Jubilee were rejected by the returning officer.
Ashfaq’s bid was turned down as he was holding of the office of the Nawabganj Upazila chairman while Jubilee did not get the green light for conviction in two cases.
Only two candidates will contest in the race for Dhaka-1 now— Awami League’s Salman F Rahman and Salma Islam, the incumbent Jatiya Party MP who is vying as an independent aspirant after failing to get the party’s ticket.
In Bagura-7, the nomination of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was rejected for her conviction in two graft cases. The returning officer also scrapped applications of the two backup BNP candidates, Morshed Milton and Sarkar Badal for holding the office of Upazila chairman.
Awami League’s Mostafa Alam Nannu and three independent candidates — Ferdous Ara Khan, Rezaul Karim Bablu and Abdur Razzak— have been cleared for the race in the seat.
In Manikganj-2, the nominations BNP candidate Engineer Mainul Islam Khan was declared invalid questioning the authenticity of Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's signature during the scrutiny.
Backup BNP aspirant Abidur Rahman Roman’s bid was turned down as his resignation from the office of Upazila chairman was not accepted.
Awami League’s candidate singer Mamtaz Begum, Bikolpa Dhara Bangladesh’s Golam Sarwar Milon, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation’s Mohammad Ferdous Ahmed Asif and Islami Andolon Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ali nominations were declared valid.
(Bangla Tribune Senior Reporter Rafsan Jani and correspondents in Bogura and Manikganj provided inputs for this report)